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Friday, July 30, 2004

I’M BEGINNING TO QUESTION YOUR COMMITMENT TO SPARKLE MOTION

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time longer than a week (or maybe even just a week), it’d come as no surprise that I’m a very big fan of the movie Donnie Darko. I’ve seen the movie about 30 times and even bought a DVD player largely so I could watch the movie at home with commentary and deleted scenes because I wanted to understand the movie better. Just like a boy who doesn’t really like to talk – you become obsessed. What are they hiding? What can you unlock? What about the bigger picture of this are you missing? It’s like Jordan Catalano syndrome, only I feel like Donnie Darko is deeper that my high school crush. And yes, you’ve just entered another Donnie Darko related post. A very long one at that.

One of the things that really drew me the most into Monde Donnie Darko was the accompanying music: Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon,” Tears for Fears’ “Head Over Heels,” Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,”Duran Duran’s “Notorious,” The Church’s “Under the Milky Way,” and Gary Jules’ version of the Tears for Fears song “Mad World,” to name a few.

For the longest time I just thought that these songs were merely put in there to put a time context to the movie and because they were really fucking cool songs. In retrospect, I realize that these songs were actually plot devices serving as clues to what’s going on in the movie and to maybe help the viewer get a better sense of what everything' means. Until Scott sent me a link to a Salon article about the movie I still hadn’t figured things out. So before reading on, I suggest you go to that article.

I warn you, I will be super insane about this, so you might not follow because I’m not sure my thoughts are totally flushed out to the point of making sense.

[EDIT: I saw the directors cut last night (I unfortunately missed the first 4 minutes, which meant that I missed one of my favorite scenes, which also means I missed the fact that they changed the song they used in the opening scene. It was no longer "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen. Now it's INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart" and apparently the song worked really nicely. I guess I'll go see it again tomorrow so I can see this for myself. Anyway, there are some added comments to this post that I thought about since last night -- and since seeing the directors cut, so i'm putting those notes in red, just like this.]

Echo and the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon”

The movie, I found, nearly appears to be written almost as if the screenwriter had been given an assignment to create a movie based on a song, and that song is “The Killing Moon” by Echo and the Bunnymen. Must I point out the fact that Donnie Darko spends the whole movie following around and listening to the advice of a dude in a bunny costume? (BTW – apparently NIN’s “Hurt” inspired the movie Fight Club.)

“Under blue moon I saw you” begins the song. The blue moon represents a rare moment, much like the rare moment when something happens in the universe that causes there to be two universes. A freaky occurrence in space, the world or universe will collapse and destroy itself. Nature killing itself.

“Up in your arms too late to beg you or cancel it though I know it must be the killing time, unwillingly mine” - Donnie, for the first time (a rare moment a la a blue moon), experiences love but also needs to face the fact that he must destroy and kill everything to save everything. It’s something he doesn’t want to do but needs too, nearly against his will.

”Fate, up against your will. Through the thick and thin, he will wait until you give yourself to him.” -- OK, the first part of this line can be interpreted as how Donnie must face his fate as the inevitable and unlikely superhero – a fate nearly all super heroes feel sort of unhappy with. The second part of that line can be used with two reasons: 1. Donnie’s girlfriend Gretchen most likely gives her virginity to Donnie (or at least takes his) and he needs to have that in his life to feel complete and then feel alright and not alone about destroying the parallel universe so he can save the real one, and 2. Donnie is giving himself to God by following through with what fate had left him with.

”In starlit nights I saw you. So cruelly you kissed me. Your lips a magic world, your sky all hung with jewels. The killing moon, will come too soon.” -- What kisses Donnie cruelly under starlit night is the kiss of death for his love, Gretchen. The lips forcing him into a magic, parallel world. The hung part is obviously referencing his ginormous cock.

”La la la la la...” -- the nonchalantness Donnie eventually feels about the whole thing when he’s sat in his bed laughing. OK, I’m stretching with that one.

[EDIT: This song doesn't open the film anymore. Instead it's what you hear just after Donnie and Gretchen have sex for the first time. It works pretty well in that scene as well since it's got the whole concept of there being a killing moon and Donnie kills Frank shortly after while they're in the twilight. It also pushes the "fate up against your will" concept of how Donnie is just doing what fate has called for him to do -- which is DESTROY THE TANGENT UNIVERSE]

Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

OK, whatever Donnie is feeling in this movie can be summed up best by this song. His love for Gretchen, his short, yet undying love for her, causes him to destroy everything. It tears them apart because she follows him to the cellar door and gets killed by Frank. It tears them apart because when Donnie is given a second chance to live and repeat everything that went wrong for a chance to be in love with Gretchen again – or maybe not even repeat for definite but face the chance of repeating the fate that leads to Gretchen’s death, he chooses to off himself so she might live. At least he got to live a life for a short time when he was in love and knew that someone loved him back. He’d rather die than not feel that again. His love for her, tears them apart. Unlike “The Killing Moon,” it’s about “Love Will Tear Us Apart”’s feeling, rather than the lyrics.

Duran Duran – “Notorious”

Not my favorite Duran Duran song, but I’m assuming the reason it was used (if the director/music supervisior was as meticulous about the song selection as I’m making them out to be) was because of this line:
”No.. no.. notorious! I.. can't read about it, burns the skin from your eyes, I'll do fine without it, here's one you don't compromise. Lies come hard to disguise, let me to fight it out, not wild about it. Lay your seedy judgements, who says they're part of our lives?” -- Patrick Swayze’s character , Jim Cunningham, comes to Donnie’s town as a sort of holier than thou self help master whom Donnie calls out for being a fraud and the anti-Christ. Turns out Donnie was right. Cunningham was busy with a child pornography ring when he wasn’t busy trying to convince everyone that he was the second coming. This is discovered when Donnie burns down his house and the fire department finds a secret room filled with the sicko porno tapes. Pretty seedy for such a judgmental person. He was no longer able to disguise his lies, despite Kitty “God is Awesome” Farmer’s attempt to prove his innocence. It’s no mistake that this was played during Sparkle Motion’s performance, and when Donnie was burning down Jim Cunningham’s house. And it was probably also no mistake that Jim’s last name was Cunningham seeing as the word “cunning” means “Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.”

Tears for Fears – “Head Over Heels”

This song is the first song post-galaxy change. “Something happens and I’m head over heels” – that something is, let’s see, when the universe splits into two and Donnie finds himself on bizarroverse. Eventually it’s an action that Donnie commits later on in the movie that causes him to get through the film: He kills Frank. Frank is killed during the 28 day bizarro period and therefore able to exist and walk around as he wishes (as a sort of ghost), advising Donnie on what to do. If Donnie never shot and killed Frank towards the end of the movie he never would’ve been able to destroy the bizarroverse because Frank served as a helper. Anyway, basically this line is pretty impressively used if you’re as crazy as I am and over analyzing lyrics at 9:30 pm on a Friday night “It's hard to be a man when there's a gun in your hand.”

[EDIT: there's a line at the end of this song that I haven't been able to find on any of the lyrics databases for this song. If I am hearing it correctly, what's being said at the very end of this song is: "One little boy, one little man. Funny how time flies." Donnie is a little boy, turned into a little man almost instantly, and in the directors cut of the movie he makes a reference to time flying. He makes time fly.]

I don’t know if this movie was the first time I heard this song since it seemed incredibly familiar to me the moment it came on screen. I wish I could remember exactly which part this song came in on since that might make some sort of difference for my purposes. In terms of when it was used in the movie: the song came on just after Donnie and Gretchen had sex for the first and last time (unless he fucked her corpse, you know, for old times). However, the line that works well for this is: “And it's something quite peculiar, something that's shimmering and white. Leads you here despite your destination, under the Milky Way tonight.” You know how Donnie keeps on following those silver orbs? Those are quite peculiar, shimmering, and sort of white. They lead him around despite what he thinks his destination should be – or rather they lead him to what his destination should be. It all happens under the Milky Way – which is out of it’s mind on that particular night.

[EDIT: In the directors cut they had this song playing while Donnie was driving in the car with his father. The song that played post coital changed to "The Killing Moon".]

Tears for Fears/Gary Jules – “Mad World”

Well, this is the last song we hear in the movie. We hear this song when Donnie finally gets everything back in order (after using his telekinesis powers to rip the engine thing off the wing of the airplane his mom and sister were on and cause a sort of time traveling machine that destroyed the parallel universe he was in – I shit you not, that’s what he did) . No more bizarre universe. No more dead girlfriend. No more dead bunnyman. It’s a crazy world, this world he lives in. This world we live in. And if it weren’t for the martyr by the name of Donnie Darko, we’d be dead.

[EDIT: I forgot to mention that the song contains the incredible line "I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, that the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I ever had." This is one of the most important lines of the song, and I totally forgot to mention it. There are a lot of theories that the entire movie was a prophetic dream of Donnie's, and that all the people in his life had a similar dream. If it was a prophetic dream, and he died in it, and he fell in love, then it'd be easy to say that it was the best he ever had.]

Apparently I left my AIM on at work. This is a problem cause I'm home today since it's a summer Friday.

Thanks to anyone who came out to bar 13 last night for Jordan's birthday party. I had a lot of fun DJing. I don't really understand why people don't dance to "Waiting Room" by Fugazi -- but that don't matter, I'll play it anyway until i'm blue in the face.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

WHY ARE YOU IN THAT STUPID BUNNY SUIT?

In case you forgot, Donnie Darko - The Directors Cut is in theaters now. For you New Yorkers, it's playing at the AMC on 42nd Street. I will probably be there when you're there because I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be.

Unless of course, that anywhere else is the Curiosa festival on Saturday. But if you didn't want to spend $60+ seeing the Cure, Interpol, and a band I kinda like called Muse, you can head over to the Village Idiot and have your very last beer there. Hide your sisters/girlfriends/daughters cause my brother will be there in full effect with his friends. If the guy in the wheelchair asks you to sit on his lap -- DON'T DO IT. They’re closing down the legendary tavern this weekend. I wasn’t allowed in there in the first place. My brother managed to have me banned.

Last night in the wee hours of the night, after my friends and I polished off a bottle of rum in the kitchen of SPIN offices after watching the Fever perform, we headed back to my house, ordered Rush Hour, snorted enough heroin to kill Pete Libertines (i'm kidding of course -- it he would've been fine), and talked about how music, just like friends sometimes, can come to you in phases and mean less to you years down the road.

For instance: In 1993 I was obsessed with the Beatles Sgt Peppers and REM. I wanted to be Michael Stipe. I made all my friends sing REM songs in those karaoke booths that you have at Bar Mitzvahs. Sadly, "Shiny Happy People" was the only thing available, and even more sadly, I knew all of Michael Stipes' dance moves from the video. I would even find a baseball cap to wear to the side like he did, and i think that somewhere in my parent's house there exists about 4 different versions of me doing this with my friends. "Baby Got Back" was fun to do as well. Particularly because back then I weighed about 70 lbs and lacked a "back" and didn't understand what "my anaconda dont want nothing if you aint got buns hon."

In 1994 I became obsessed with Nirvana. This obsession lasted about 3 years and intertwined with my obsession with Beck, Hole, and The Smiths (not to mention the crazed obsession I had with my brother's New Wave Hits of the 80s Vol 1-15 collection).

In 1997 I became obsessed with Radiohead and listened to them once a day for nearly three years. I became known around the SPIN offices as the intern with an unnatural obsession with Radiohead. That was followed with obsessions with The Walkmen, Interpol, and Placebo.

All those bands meant more to me than anything in the world. They helped me out with my hardest moments in my life. Heartaches, downfalls, sickness, sadness, those bands were there for me. But then, they'd serve their purpose or something would distract me and I'd have a new obsession (my emo band would be called Her Daily Obsession).

Bands are like friends in that way, for me at least. Some months/years, there's a person who is the closest person to me in my life. If anything happens they're the first person I call. Then that friend might move away to go to college, or pursue a job, or get a boy/girlfriend and I see that friend less and less. It doesn't mean that I love them any less, it just means that my dependency in them isn't so strong. Maybe I'm an emotionally detached person? Anyway, when I listen to REM, Nirvana, and Hole I'm able to appreciate them -- but I don't need them anymore. I'm friendly with them, and if they were actual people instead of songs, I'd want to get brunch with them and catch up on old times and tell them about the new crushes I have and how i'm soooo over John, Orin, Matt, Chris...

This blog has suddenly become sarahslist.org... another one of my friends is looking for a roommate. This time is the DJ duo known as Death & Destruction (Ryan Rayhill and Alexander Chow) and the ever so red Eva.

Ryan can be reached at: ryan@rockstargames.com if you're interested in the space. Details below:

1 very good sized room in a 3 bedroom apt available August 8th. Rent is $1000/mo. You would be living with one 26 yr. old male who works at a magazine and a couple, 28 yr. old male who does PR and one 26 yr. old female who works at a performing arts school. We all play music and are in bands. We have occasional guests and get togethers. Here are some more details:

-East Village (2nd Ave. and 3rd St.)
-Close to F Train, Astor Place and Union Sq.
-Room has a large closet with shelves
-Corner Room has 2 windows with great view of downtown
-Small kitchen area with stove, fridge, microwave
-Medium size living room area with hardwood floors
-1 bathroom
-Several windows providing a lot of natural light
-prefer non-smokers but smokers ok
-prefer someone who is CLEAN and keeps their mess to themselves as much as possible.
-Apt. is a 4th floor walk-up
-We have no pets but small dogs or cat may be OK but please let us know. [if they dont like your dog/cat they'll probably eat it - sarah]

You will of course be expected to pay 1/4 of the bills and we will require 1st months rent as well as a deposit ($2000 total) before move in.

Come and celebrate Jordan's birthday tonight at Bar 13 (13th and University). Apart from fun dancing, I will also be DJing at around midnight. Jordan is gonna make me DJ "Hungry Eyes" at some point, i think, but apart from that I'll be busting out the jams that bring all the boys the yard.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

You know how they're making a movie based on Deborah Curtis' book "Touching from a Distance"? Oh, you dont? Well, they are. And guess who is playing Ian Curtis. UM... here's a clue, you're staring at his photo.

SEXIEST MOVIE EVER.

You know how those geeks waited in line for Star Wars for like 4 years... I'm gonna be doing that starting tomorrow.

Greg the Boyfriend is looking for a roommate. He lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and apparently has a really lovely apartment. I dont know cause I've never been. I don't like going to boys' apartments and I don't like going to Brooklyn, ever, so those are two huge strikes against me ever playing in their kiddie pool (not to mention the sight of me in a bathing suit is nothing I'd wish on anyone). The other day Greg coined a great concept: "When you date someone, you also date their friends. They are the in-laws of youth."

My friend Rob, who happens to be one of the most wonderful people put on this earth that I know, is going to Dublin over the next two weeks. He's looking for stuff to do and so I'm wondering if anyone who reads this blog might be able to help him out, and if so, please share with the rest of the class by posting it in the comments section. Thank you.

Rob writes: "Any tips you have about your favorite cool places, clubs, bands, food, drink, ways of getting round town, etc. would do me a world of good. Thank you, and may all your sons be bishops.

Morrissey said there was panic in the streets there, but he said the same thing about Dundee and Humberside. The man Can't be trusted!"

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

SEX, DRUGS, AND FARGO

'Allo. Fans of SPIN's very own Chuck Klosterman can finally gawk at him in person! TONIGHT! If you live in NYC, I strongly urge you to go to his reading at the Astor Place Barnes and Noble at 7:30pm. There, he will be talking about his book Sex, Drugs, and CoCo Puffs - A Low Culture Manifesto, now available in paperback. If you haven't picked it up yet, now would be a good time cause you can have Chuck explain the book to you and sign it. One day that book might be worth a lot of money. Also, it's one of those books that nearly killed me cause I was so into reading it that I'd read it while I walked down the street, often times just avoiding traffic. It's that good.

Monday, July 26, 2004

WE CAN PLANT A HOUSE, WE CAN BUILD A TREE

or a cake.

Today I am sore and tired. My father came over yesterday and built a wall for Lindsay's room and we tried to help him out as much as possible. Before she was pretty much sleeping in the kitchen with a chinese curtain diving things. It made it hard for me to get a late night snack or come in late at night w/out waking her up. My dad is a super hero and the wall looks amazing. It's removeable and goes up to the ceiling and in a couple of days we're all getting Divo (digital tivo) set up, so we'll never leave the house. Oh joy.

Things I learned this weekend:

- Always check ID and make sure they're of age.
- Brian is an amazing DJ.
- All the latino boys who live on the LES dress like Kevin Federline. All of them. GIGANTIC WHITE T-SHIRTS.

Friday, July 23, 2004

EVERYONE WHO PRETENDED TO LOVE ME IS DRUNK

Last night I went to see the Hives at Irving Plaza, but because I'm graced with a 5'1" frame and an absurd refusal to wear platforms or heels anymore, I saw most of the show from the monitors in the back of the venue. Unless, of course, I was jumping up and down or peaking a view of the band between peoples' heads. I LOVE THE HIVES! Yes, I do. I CAN'T SEE THE HIVES! No, I can't. So for me to give a review of this show would be incredibly inappropriate and also inaccurate since I couldn't actually see the show and just managed to enjoy the music and the chance to dance around with my friends as people who employ me got me drunk.

After the show, the people who employ me got me more drunk. As I walked with my boss, an editor, a former roommate, and a friend to the after party I declared things such as my love for the guitarist of the Hives, Nicolas Arson, and the fact that I think sex is dirty. "SEX IS DIRTY!" I yelled to my BOSS. She responded with "Well, what about Nicolas Arson? I don't think you can yell that at him." I told her that that would be my opening line. It wasn't. Instead, when i finally met Mr. Arson, my line was "Great show" and i hopped off. A white lie, since i didn't actually see the show, but I didn't know what to say by that point and I was drunk. I could either make a fool of myself or I could just be polite. I chose politeness. However, when I met up with Pelle I insisted on taking two photos with him, one smiling and one with my patented pouty face.

So back to the party action: It was at the Grammercy Hotel Bar. It was really quite nice with a bottle of vodka and mixer at every table, not to mention some mystery swedish foods on a buffet. As I sat on a couch enjoying a strong drink prepared by a friend I got roudy and hollared at some boy. Literally hollared. "YO!" He walked over. We chatted. I went to the bathroom and managed to get the entire place to sing "Boaderline" by Madonna. It was lika movie. Very odd. I came back out to the party, balance glasses on my head, was told not to flirt with the interns, danced around a bit I think. And then, when I realized that maybe I should go home, I hopped in a cab with my roommate and was whisked home. I guess i was in enough of a state that she found it appropriate to offer to tuck me in. My friends are nice.

So how was the show? Good question. I was told by those who are taller than me, that it was very good.
How was the party? Drunk.

On another note:

Laura slash temp has the best ever review of an Elefant show ever. I'm sad i missed the new songs. Greg and I were in a band for a short moment with the members of Elefant minus Diego called Debutaunt. We had a hit song in England called "Eleventeen Times." True story. Sort of.

The Stills have a new video for "Lola Stars and Stripes" Directed by Oliver Gondry (he's done some amazing videos, whoa). What's exciting to me about this video is that for a split moment you can see my skinny friend Jordan running around in it. He found out about the video shoot from reading this blog. You can see Jordan running around too.

What the label and band want you to know about this video is the following:

"The events of Sep 11 sparked a new concern and gave our generation a tangible moment to make our own. This post-9/11 period is OUR time: it is us middle-class kids with nothing to immediately or concretely worry about that have to seize the moment and incite change. The bombs will be on our side of the pond very soon if we do not do something about it. It is about more than romance this time, it's about the fate of the world." -Dave Hamelin of The Stills and the writer of “Lola.”

"When I did read the lyrics, the first image I got in my mind was them walking in a happy area, then them walking in an area devastated by war. Later, I decided to try to make it happen in a one-shot sequence. I've been impressed by the 9/11 video footage of guys shooting the tower and running and still shooting when the towers fell. That's what I wanted the footage to look like. It's not political, just the contrast war/peace" -Olivier Gondry

"The video for ‘Lola Stars And Stripes’ was filmed in Spanish Harlem in NYC. There is a conceptual link between the video and the events on September 11, but it merely references elements. The band members rise and fall (as if dead), as the song crescendos and de-crescendos. When the song is most explosive, animated explosions emphasize a wartime atmosphere as the band runs in a panic. At these points the video becomes black and white and the camera work has a more documentary feel to it. There is a degree of playfulness that is incorporated into the video. If we were too serious it might have come off as pretentious, heavy handed or silly. Working with Mr. Gondry was an honor. Firstly, being able to communicate in French was great! Secondly, he is very talented and great to work with" -Tim Fletcher of The Stills

If you're not going to the Devo/YYYs/stellastarr* show tonight (FYI - Rain blows when you've forgotten your umbrella. So bring it tonight to the summer stage show) and are itching do to something fun. Check this shit out:

THE SHOUT OUTLOUDS
http://www.kirreboy.nu/shoutoutlouds.these guys have been compared to the cure, the pixies and yes...
stellastarr* but w/ a popier approach. they've created a massive
industry buzz and will be showcasing their live show @ rothko to reps
from many labels. come out and see the next big thing!!! they have flown
all the way from Sweden to play this show!

Thursday, July 22, 2004

VH1 -- YOU'RE GONNA PAY!

As i was getting ready for work this morning I found my head transfixed on the TV while watching VH1's morning video programming. Here's what my brain would've said if it could talk:
Maroon 5: Why do i like this guy's voice? He's hot. Whoa, he's making out with an older lady. I see why all my girlfriends are obsessed with this dude. Why do i like his voice?
Avril Lavigne: Whoa, she's hot. I'd do her.
Keane: Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. Music nice. This is like gay brother music. My favorite song by Coldplay is "Politik" ... this is piano driven like it. I like Muse.

KarenRTAG: i think there is crack in these photos
KarenRTAG:http://www.e-michael.jp/gallery/pug009.2.jpgUltragrrrl: THAT MIGHT be my favorite.
KarenRTAG: i really dont have one
KarenRTAG: i just cant choose
Ultragrrrl: wanna hear something evil?
KarenRTAG: sure!
Ultragrrrl: i really like that keane single
KarenRTAG: HAHAHAHA!
KarenRTAG: keane are alarmingly sneaky about being good
KarenRTAG: the whole album is good but you just cant admit it
Ultragrrrl: WTF?
KarenRTAG: but you cant like them
Ultragrrrl: i just can't help it.
Ultragrrrl: i want to hear that single all day long.
KarenRTAG: which song do you mean
Ultragrrrl: it sounds like "so why dont we go..."
KarenRTAG: somewhere only we know
KarenRTAG: a simple thing!
Ultragrrrl: yeah. that one. i'm gonna buy it on itunes.
KarenRTAG: where have you gone
KarenRTAG: i have the album
Ultragrrrl: i have it somewhere. i cant find it.
Ultragrrrl: the poor people in my office. i will play this forty times starting... NOW.
KarenRTAG: this is the last time is really good too
KarenRTAG: im going to listen to keane now
KarenRTAG: ive been listening to emo all morning
Ultragrrrl: this is going up on my blog.

Monday, July 19, 2004

I WANNA BE SEDATED

It was awesome seeing my friend Jake on VH1's "I Love The 90s" all this past week and weekend. When I was in high school I was totally in awe of him and had massive crush. What was there not to like? He was cute, had cool taste in music, a cool show on MTV, and he was like 14. Here's him interviewing Joey Ramone before his voice cracked (which i guess could be any time between age 12 and 23). Fantastic interview!

My friend Sean McGrath, who tragically lost his battle with cancer last month, recorded the song called "I Hate This Stupid Bike" for the Vagrant compilation "In Honor: A Compilation To Beat Cancer." You can stream it HERE. Please play it loud, it's a rocking song.

You can contribute to the charity his family set up Hold Onto Your Friends by going to that hyperlink. And if you're a fan of the band Thursday, you can buy a special made t-shirt.

Also, I should note that about a year ago when I was chatting on AIM with Sean, as we did whenever he would sign on and IM me with the endearing greeting of "hey nerdo," I asked him how cancer was treating him... his response was "I put the emo in chemo." Despite being sick, he didn't let that fuck with his sassy sense of humor, and so this post's subject line is trying to celebrate that... cause he would've wanted it that way. Trust me.

Saturday, July 17, 2004

LET THEM EAT STUFF

Max Dropout thinks that Franz Ferdinand are 3 generation Talking Heads hacks and hates pretty much everything else in popular culture, including yours truely... yet he continues to read and post on this site. Perhaps you share in Max's hatred of all things popculture (which sort of seems very Buddyhead to me) and would enjoy his online zine Let Them Eat Lead. He's invited all the hoes who read this blog over.

I like things too much (according to him, my taste is ignorant) to read his zine, but some people seem to like it.

Friday, July 16, 2004

RUN FOR COVER MOTHERFUCKER

So, what did you do friday night? Something fabulous, I'm sure. Me? Oh, funny you should ask. Let's see, I went to New Jersey to eat shabbat dinner with my family, kiss my doggy on her blind head, and sit infront of a computer screen trying to look for something to entertain me enough while watching FUSE. Thanks for asking.

I really enjoy going to NJ to pay my respects to the G to the O to the D. I think that tradition is totally lost in our/my generation. Whenever I tell people that I'm not going out on friday because I'm being a good jew, they look at me like i just said that Franz Ferdinand are hacks (they're not, by the way). But, with all due respect, I gotta say that lately my friends have been totally understanding and cool about my chosen arrangement (my homobro chooses to spend his in the hamptons or with his homofriends doing homostuff). I really enjoy it. It's kind of counter-culture, and being counter-culture is what being punk is about... so by default of being semi-traditional with my religious values, i'm punk. HEAR ME ROAR! roar.

Speaking of traditional values, the Franz Ferdinand album makes me wanna have casual sex in public. I just read in Blender magazine that Brad Pitt enjoys that album as well, so i hope he feels the same way as I do.

So last night I went to see the Delays with my exboss. I had made the mistake of saying "they sound like stevie nicks crossed with MBV" which was totally off. Basically, I need to stop listening to the same track "zero zero one" (which does sound like the above mentioned description... actually more cocteau twins, so i was TOTALLY OFF) over and over again. They were fantastic. The singer's voice carried over the crowd like a wave of mutilation. I stared in awe as he yelped like a crazed voice with an uncommonly fantastic voice. At times, it reminded me of JJ72 (remember them? i loved them).

My brother Lawrence has started an amazing new company called RentBid. It's like eBay but for apartment rentals and it's totally fucking unreal. You dont have to pay a brokers fee or anything. The site just launched last week so there aren't that many listings, but I just found a 3 bedroom rental in harlem for $1500. No fee! Czech it.

Does anyone have the new Midtown record? Their "Aremageddon" vs. Muse's "Apocalypse Please"... it's like STP vs. Pearl Jam, but for one fucking song!

Lastly, I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but Alex Chow's band, Madison Strays is playing tonight at the Mercury Lounge. They sound like the Psychedellic Furs. They're also playing with everyone's favorite disco punk bands The Flesh and The Moving Units. All three are fucktastically awesome bands. Probably your new favorite!

Thursday, July 15, 2004

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

For the Killers show at Bowery. Don't say I didn't warn you. Click Here.

And if you even TRY to take my spot at the front of the stage I will break your knees.

Also, as if that weren't enought, the Libertines are playing the next night, then the Music is playing the night right after that. I think the NME are gonna try to rent out my closet for one of their reporters to stay in.

"I think I would rather have Kerry hold my feet during a keg stand because, let's face it, you need... someone responsible to do something like that," Penn junior Patrick Carroll said.

"You wouldn't want to fall and chip your teeth on the keg or something, and I could just picture 'college-era' Bush seeing a hot girl across the room and dropping everything he was doing to go talk to her," the Kappa Alpha brother said.

"Nader wouldn't have a chance," Brodsky explained. "Kerry is cool because he has morals, something G.W. and Nader do not, but George Bush is the only one that I can see playing Beirut [aka Beer Pong] while shot-gunning a Natty Ice. So I guess I'd have to pick Bush."

In an amazing turn of events, MTV's fantastic show, "Room Raiders," has ventured out of Bergen County, NJ and into Miami tonight! Oh joy! Karen are you on top of this?

I went to see Dennis' new band The Sons of Sound. Holy shit! Run, do no walk, to their next show. As soon as I find out when it is, i'll post it here. Watching their set tonight was like seeing a combination of Muse and Secret Machines with a slight disco punk beat. Truely fantastic. The songs are there, the sound is there, everything was there. Shockingly, I think it's something like their 2nd show as a full band. Dennis used to be the lead singer of the Realistics, and his new band is nothing like it, so don't show up expecting that sort of thing.

J'adore le Family Guy. So should you. Now you can buy Family Guy action figures. This is so much awesome.

Growing up my brother Lawrence was a huge fan of Andrew Dice Clay. I must say, the dude is still awesome.

Also, one of my friendsters/slight internet crushes, Ollie, has a band in LA called The Ooh Las. I've never met Ollie in person, but I always thought she looked really pretty in photos. So when I found out she had a band I was pretty suprised and eager to hear what they sound like. Low and behold, she sounds a bit like Kim Deal and I was quite impressed. Anyway, her band is looking for drummer, so if you're a drummer in LA please check this out.

So, since this blog is about my sobriety (or more often, lack there of, I figured that I'd share that tonight I didn't have one drop of alcohol. Impressed? Didn't think so. Earlier in the night, I was debating going over to Filter 14 for the Girls & Boys reunion party which is happening right now and probably off the hook. But I am exhausted. I need sleep, no alcohol, and nothing else in my body that doesn't belong there. This weekend is Siren Festival so I will probably be unable to walk straight for the next week. Viva being drunk beyond retardation!

OK, this post was boring. No personality. Sorry. Hopefully you found out about some cool bands and stuff!

Monday, July 12, 2004

I SEE THAT YOU'VE COME TO RESIST ME

Apart from seeing Anchorman last night and listening to the new Interpol album on repeat 39 times, the most exciting thing to happen to me this weekend was going to Misshapes. I came with Niki and Brian dressed in all white from the 40oz extravaganza that was the White Party, and arrived on a drunkfest of dancers. I need to remind myself to give up wearing heels. I hate them, they hate me, and after about a half hour of standing around and maybe dancing a bit (i REALLY dont remember), I decided it was time to go home. Oh, but this was just after a boy, who was standing near the DJ booth, toppled over. Just like... timber style. The poor boy hit his head on his way down and under a counter just at Brian's feet. So a few people propped him up and Brian carried him out with a bouncer cause, Holy Cute Drunken Boy, Batman, it was clear that this boy needed to go home. Sadly, the boy was still outside about 15 minutes later leaning against a wall. He looked like a poor puppy. We went over to help him out and figure out how to get him home. I took his wallet out of his pants and handed it over to Brian who did some investigating and found out where he lived. His phone was dead so we couldn't call any of his friends. We tried to get him in a cab and Niki tried to convince me not to take him home. I love strays! After trying to get him to let us put him in a cab for about 10 minutes, Niki grabbed my hand and led me to a cab so we could go home.

Anyway, I posted a missed connection for the boy to make sure he made it home OK. Still no word. Hope he's alright!

By the way, Greg went to see The Five O'Clock Heroes at Mercury Lounge on Friday and said that they were fantastic. I am pretty much in love with their song "Run to Her." Sadly, their website is acting up, so you might have to check back.

Sunday, July 11, 2004

CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY HEART AND SOULthis is a wasteland now

OK, it's only July (it took me a moment to think of what month it was, yikes), and I'm already fretting over what my favorite album of the year will be. I've got it narrowed down to five, but choosing the order is causing me to break out in hives:

(btw, if you're wondering why Modest Mouse is missing, it's because whenever i listen to the album i skip directly to "float on" and play it on repeat until someone throws a shoe at my head)

Also, totally off topic, but i've got the strongest urge to take Ashlee Simpson under my wing. I honestly think i can be a good influence on her. I feel like she's lost and needs guidence and I am just the right person to give that guidence to her. I'd make her mix tapes. Take her to shows. Help her write songs. It'd be so much fun. She'd also end up a raging alcoholic, but i mean, she wants to be rock and roll right?

So is Ashlee Simpson. C'mon, don't be hating... you know you wanna stick your hand in her cleave.

Last night i was riding my bike on Houston at about 2 am from Lit where I was celebrating Raphael the Boyfriend's birthday when who do i see? None other than Shandi from the second season of America's Next Top Model. I nearly got into an accident gawking. She was my favorite!

So immediately after spying her, i rang up Karen to let her know. I was just driving by Welcome to the Johnsons on my way home and out pops Johnny Knoxville. I was like "Hi Kare-- holy shit. Johnny Knoxville." And peddled away.

Lastly, I don't know if you guys like to party, but if you do, ProductShopNYC and Halified will be throwing a funtastic party. Here's the rules:
"If you don't know the drill, let me lay the track down for ya. Ya gots to wear all white clothing - that means ALL WHITE CLOTHING. You gots to drink either champagne or 40s - no cheap ass cracker shit. And that's it. can ya dig it? I knew ya could! We're going to be laying down the phattest beats all night, everything from Mase to Nas to Biz Markie to Lil' Kim to Rakim to Kriss Kross to B.I.G., and all you got to do is show up."

Thank you Jon Hurwitz for gracing me with the Bloc Party music video that you can watch here. I really, really, really want to see a video for "She's Hearing Voices.

And lastly, "Angst in My Pants" by Sparks is such a fucking great song. People, how are we allowing this gem to die? You can listen to a 30 second clip of it here but that's really not enough. Look for the song on itunes and make sure you don't buy the remix like I accidently did.

Today is Raphael the Boyfriend's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He's very cute as you can see. Come to Lit tonight so you can make out with him, spill drinks at the open bar (there's some sort of open bar at like 11 or midnight for vodka and beer), and dance to Pulp. We'll begging the bouncers to not kick us out at around 10:30ish.

My friend Bruce is a genius. He pointed out that the way Brandon Flowers sings in the beginning of The Killers song "Mr. Brightside" sounds exactly like the way the guy from Underworld sings in "Born Slippy." (aka the awesome techno song from the Trainspotting soundtrack that ushered me to my very first tragically drunken night in 1996 causing me to get grounded for about 2 years.)

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

YOU SHOULD BE IN MY SPACE, YOU SHOULD BE IN MY LIFE

Guess what? The Interpol album sounded better today. How the fuck? It's like a virus that spreads and spreads awesomeness. I wonder how much money My Space will offer the band for permission to use the song "NARC" which has the lyric of the this post's subject heading.

I sort of want to drink a bottle of wine (something I never do, seriously), light a candle, and be all gothemo and listen to this album and cry about how pretty the sounds and lyrics are.

Over the weekend I had a bunch of friends visit me. Amy and Shaun from LA who decided to take a quickie trip to NYC before Shaun had to go back on tour with his band for Warped Tour. My friend Bruce, whom was here from London (originally from New Zealand), also stayed over at the same time and it never felt cramped in my bedroom. We spent the nights dancing at Motherfucker (me and a friend joke that if we ever got married, our wedding would have to be at Motherfucker ... and our son's bris... and our passover seders...) and Misshapes (you can see photos of all the new hot and slutty misshapers here), and brunching and watching countless episodes of "Family Guy" and they became addicted to SPARKS thanks to me and Karen. By the way, Karen has vowed to stop drinking so much SPARKS... seems she's "losing time."

My roof is apparently the best place to see fireworks in NYC so I invited a bunch of people at the last minute to my impromptu BYOB shindig. Everyone was kind enough to bring me a bottle of booze whenever they came over, so i was pretty fucking gone by the time the fireworks began. I ran around kissing boys on my roofdeck and canoodling with republican orthodox jewish boys whom used to be so religious that giving me a hug would've been a sin in their eyes. Karen and I attempted to get people to sing the National Athem... that didn't work so well.

Once the fireworks were over Briankeepsadiary rallied up a posse of people to go over to David Lee Roth's apartment down the block cause apparently he was also having a party. However, once they got there (i stayed home to decompress), the party was over so they posed next to DLR's mazzuzah and mailbox (which apparently just says DLR -- I was hoping it'd say Diamond Dave). Fun times.

Lastnight I finally went to that party at Happy Endings that Alex Chow had been telling me about for a thousand years that I was always too lazy to go to. Fuck, I blew it. So many cute faces, so many fashionable kids, so many good tunes. It was Bruce's last night in NYC and I really hope he had a fun time. Here's a photo of us practicing Blue Steel at Happy Endings.

OK. Time to sign off. Thanks again to everyone for sending me their cutie pet photos!

Here's a photo of my blind shih-tzu. She's 15 years old and I was babysitting her for the day a week ago. I love her so much that I resisted petting other dogs for about 12 years cause that'd make her jealous. I want to hug her all day long and I miss her on the weekdays. Anyway, she's blind, so I was sort of surprised when she sat up and started watching TV.

Tuesday, July 6, 2004

ROSEMARY, HEAVEN RESTORES YOU IN LIFE

Alright, so I've downloaded the new Interpol album. To be perfectly honest, the first time I heard it I was like "this is good... but yeah, it's good." Despite being a fan since 1999 or 2000 or something (not to pull shit like that out...), it took me about a week or two to agree with my friend that Turn on the Bright Lights was an orgasmic album. It was a grower. For whatever reason I thought that Antics would appeal to me instantly. It was appealing, but definitely not something that made me feel less complete if I didn't listen to it at least once in the day. I thought something was wrong with me. Paul's lyrics/voice was definitely stunning, and the band sounded really grand and epic, as promised. But the emotional pull was missing.

Then this weekend happened. Suddenly, like an anvil falling on a coyote's head, I was struck down by its absolute gorgeousness. Paul has such a way with lyrics sometimes -- he's able to make the most ridiculous line sound like absolute poetry written by Rimbaud -- and the band knows how to make those statements sound like the most profound declarations of all time with their swooping sounds that suddenly become soundtracks to your life.

The other day I was riding my bike through the city when "Take You on a Cruise" came on. I must've yelled "i am the scavenger!" really loudly cause everyone started staring at me. And last week I DJed the single "Slow Hands" at Crobar and people were actually dancing to it. I was pretty stoked.

Alright, so I've downloaded the new Interpol album. To be perfectly honest, the first time I heard it I was like "this is good... but yeah, it's good." Despite being a fan since 1999 or 2000 or something (not to pull shit like that out...), it took me about a week or two to agree with my friend that Turn on the Bright Lights was an orgasmic album. It was a grower. For whatever reason I thought that Antics would appeal to me instantly. It was appealing, but definitely not something that made me feel less complete if I didn't listen to it at least once in the day. I thought something was wrong with me. Paul's lyrics/voice was definitely stunning, and the band sounded really grand and epic, as promised. But the emotional pull was missing.

Then this weekend happened. Suddenly, like an anvil falling on a coyote's head, I was struck down by its absolute gorgeousness. Paul has such a way with lyrics sometimes -- he's able to make the most ridiculous line sound like absolute poetry written by Rimbaud -- and the band knows how to make those statements sound like the most profound declarations of all time with their swooping sounds that suddenly become soundtracks to your life.

The other day I was riding my bike through the city when "Take You on a Cruise" came on. I must've yelled "i am the scavenger!" really loudly cause everyone started staring at me. And last week I DJed the single "Slow Hands" at Crobar and people were actually dancing to it. I was pretty stoked.

Thursday, July 1, 2004

Thanks everyone for their adorable pet photos! My God, you people have cute animals! One person even sent me a photo of a baby dear, which is also known as a fawn. I was fawning over it. badumpbump.

Anyway, because i love the killers so much... and i swear, this isn't a killers fansite, but i'm posting this since people get upset when i dont update on all things killers, i just got this email:

Hey Everyone,

The Killers are performing on Pepsi Smash tonight, July 1st on the WB at 8:00pm (EST & PST)... During the show, VOTE for the killers when they "Smash Off" against Los Lonely Boys... The winner gets to play another song, so make sure you vote between 8 and 9pm at www.thewb.com/vote. Also featured on the show this evening: Kanye West and 311, so check it out.

OK! So all that t-minus bull shit... that was like, retarded. Basically, I'm back. I'm gonna start blogging again... but I guess I never left. I'm debating taking that comments feature down because it gives me a headache tho, so please don't be surprised when that happens.

Fuck, I forgot how to blog. Sort of.

I went to see the Streets last night at Irving Plaza and spent the majority of the show in the back of the venue dancing it up with Karen and Niki in celebration of Karen's 23rd birthday. Holla! We tried out a bunch of new dance moves like the pancake toss (which apparently is ALL the rage in St. Louis), accosted boys who walked by challenging them to a dance off, and yelled at "Oi" whenever we remembered to. Just for the record, the only reason we yelled out "oi" is because Mikey yells it out about every 30 seconds on his album, as does show opener Dizzee Rascal... however, Karen thought i was hollering "Oy!" which is possible.

Karen was kind enough to grace me with a copy of some Bloc Party cd that she's been going on and on about -- and the shit is really good. I'm fearful that I've just found a new obsession.

Other things catching my ear:

The Bravery -- every time i hear a DJ spin one of their songs I'm always like "I know this! I like this! Who is this? ... oh snap! it's the Bravery!" They're playing tonight at Bar13.

My Chemical Romance -- yes they're "emo" or "screamo" or whatever... but fucking shit, these guys made a great second album, and that's sometimes pretty hard. Either you live up to expectation, you surpass expectation, or the first album was so good that you just have no choice but to release music for the sake of releasing music... and MCR totally surpassed my expectations. I cried when I first heard their album. It's gorgeous.

Giant Drag -- i'm sort of obsessed with them actually. If you live in LA, they're doing a residencey at Spaceland I think. Go see them and tell me how they are live. I have a crush on Annie.

Also, please send me photos of your pets if you get a chance. Or any cute animal photos. I like those. my email: slewitinn@spin.com

About Me

Sarah Lewitinn (born February 3, 1980), also known by her nickname Ultragrrrl, is a music critic, DJ, and blogger. She gained notoriety as an assistant editor at SPIN Magazine.
In 2006, New York magazine named Lewitinn as one of "The Most Influential People in Music", citing that "she has more power than any print music critic".